This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Many vehicles are equipped with structures identified as exhaust hangers for fixing exhaust systems to a vehicle body or frame. Some exhaust hangers include a flexible element, such as a rubber or silicone isolator. The exhaust hanger may include a straight portion extending from the flexible isolator called a perch. The perch is the loading point for the hanger assembly. The perch may be a hollow or solid rod that can be bent into required shapes. Several exhaust hangers may be distributed along the length of an exhaust, increasing cost and complexity of the system. Exhaust hangers having longer perches may suffer from poor noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance.
There is an increasing desire for vehicles having improved NVH refinement, i.e., higher first mode frequency, and reduced mass while maintaining acceptable durability performance. Thus, other exhaust hangers may include a bracket, which may have a triangular cross section, attached to the exhaust, and a rod attached to the bracket for fixing the exhaust to the vehicle body or frame. Rod and bracket hangers may be used when it is necessary to meet high frequency targets. Rod and bracket hangers may require a unique design for each location. The need for multiple designs can thereby increase cost and complexity.
While previously implemented exhaust hangers may have satisfactorily functioned in the past, strides may be made to reduce mass, increase durability, reduce NVH characteristics, and improve ease of manufacturing and assembly. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved exhaust hanger and exhaust hanger assembly process for providing a robust exhaust hanger.